Intense Silence
by Phantom531
Summary: Random Couples Challenge Story- Dr Greg House meets up with Olivia Benson when a missing deaf child shows up at Princeton Plainsboro hospital...and falls ill with a mysterious disease.
1. Chapter 1

It was so mind-numbingly slow in the clinic that day that it took Cuddy a few minutes to notice she was there. A little girl of about 7 years old, with dark hair and eyes, was standing in the middle of the clinic all by herself. She was clinging to a small crocheted rabbit that looked like it was about to fall apart.

"Hello, honey. Did you lose your mommy?" she asked softly. The little girl raised her eyes to Cuddy's and Cuddy was startled to notice the bruise along the girl's jaw. The little girl didn't answer.

"Are you hurt?" Cuddy asked. Again, no answer. Cuddy gently lifted the child and sat her down on the receptionist's desk. The girl followed Cuddy with her eyes, but didn't speak or move. Cuddy pulled over one of the nurses bustling through the room.

"Did this little girl come in with anyone?" she asked.

"No, I didn't see anyone. I didn't even know she was here," the nurse answered, frowning at the girl. The girl watched with the same passionless expression. Cuddy sighed and picked the girl up and balanced her on her hip.

"I'll take a look at her. Do me a favor and call Child Services?" she asked. The nurse nodded and Cuddy trundled the child into an exam room.

"I'm Dr. Cuddy. Can you tell me your name?" she asked. The girl just stared at her. As Cuddy set her down on the exam table, she noticed a small amount of blood seeping through the knee of the girl's worn jeans. When she went to look at it, the girl whimpered and squirmed away, clutching her rabbit in a death grip. A quick inspection found fragments of pavement embedded in the fabric. Now that she was looking, Cuddy noticed small pebbles and dirt in the child's hair and clothing.

"Oh, did you fall outside? Is that why you're here? Can I have a look?" Cuddy said. She reached for the girl's leg, but the child squirmed away again.

"Can I see your leg?" Cuddy asked gently. The girl pushed her hands away. Cuddy sighed. There was a polite knock on the door.

"Yes?" she said. James Wilson poked his head in the room.

"Hey, Cuddy…" was as far as he got. The girl let out a blood-curling shriek and dove off the table. Cuddy grabbed her before she bodily hit the floor, but the girl struggled insanely. The struggle threw Cuddy off-balance and she crashed to the tiles, her head glancing off the exam table. Stars sparked and flashed before her eyes for a moment and she thought her head would burst from the screaming and the pain. Suddenly, it stopped. Wilson was holding the girl, who now lay limp in his arms. His face was so pale Cuddy thought he might faint.

"What did I do?" he gasped slowly, staring at the unresponsive bundle in his arms. The door burst open and a familiar face made Cuddy want to groan in dismay.

"What is going on in here? I'm trying to sleep in the next room!" House shouted. Then he took in the scene before him and frowned in concern.

"What happened?" he asked, hobbling forward to pull Cuddy to her feet.

"The kid just went berserk," Wilson sputtered. By now they had quite an audience; just about everyone in the clinic –or the whole hospital- had heard the little girl screaming and had come to look. Wilson was checking the child's vitals.

"She hasn't fainted," he said dumbly. House sighed and checked the girl.

"She isn't even unconscious. She's playing dead," he said, puzzled. He went to take the child from Wilson and the girl squeaked when he touched her. House turned back to Cuddy, handing her the limp girl.

"She's been molested. She only reacted when she saw men. She's playing dead because Wilson is holding her. Get psych, child services, and the cops," House said. He suddenly cocked his head to the side, and turned the girl's face so he could see it. He also touched the stuffed animal and the girl flinched away from him.

"Cuddy, this is Amy Culler," he said quietly. The girl stirred.

"Who?" Cuddy asked. House backed up a little, and the girl relaxed.

"She disappeared from New York City two days ago. Her picture's been all over the news and she always has this grubby rag with her. Jesus, Cuddy, don't you watch the news?" House snapped.

"No."

"Well, have one of the nurses call the cops," House ordered as he hobbled out, taking a still-pale, shaken Wilson with him.

"And she's deaf," House said over his shoulder, before he left a shocked Cuddy and Wilson with the child.


	2. Chapter 2

Det. Olivia Benson did not feel like driving to New Jersey. Not only New Jersey, but Central New Jersey, an area she was not used to. But Amy Culler's case had been hers for the past few weeks, not only her case, but her obsession. It wasn't fair that _any_ child should be abducted from her home, but the fact that Amy was deaf made it so much worse.

"You're going to break the steering wheel, Liv," Stabler said quietly. Benson loosened her grip a bit.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I hate New Jersey," she mumbled.

"You don't hate New Jersey. Or you didn't before now," Stabler replied. Olivia shrugged and stared at Rte 287 and the rain pounding on the windshield of her car. It hung unsaid in the air between them that the last time Olivia had been in New Jersey was when she'd seen Simon. They drove on in uncharacteristic silence.

They walked into the hospital, dripping from the rain. It was a _nice_ hospital; one of the best in the state, if reports were to be believed. They were directed to the Administrator's office. Dr. Lisa Cuddy was a well-dressed woman with huge eyes and dark hair and she greeted them at the door.

"Hi, I'm Detective Benson, this is Detective Stabler. We're here to pick up Amy Culler," Benson said by way of introduction.

"Sorry, no can do!" a voice said from behind them. Olivia almost had to stop Elliot from drawing his weapon. A tall, thin man with a cane sat just out of view of the door. He stood unsteadily as both detectives turned to face him. Olivia might've taken him for a vagrant if he'd been outside.

"And why is that?" Elliot asked. Olivia heard a snarl creeping in around the edges of Elliot's voice. She reached out a hand to try to quiet him.

"Oooh, Cuddy, you think if I kept talking his fur would puff out and he'd hiss at me?" the man asked.

"House, knock it off!" Dr. Cuddy snapped at him, before turning back to the detectives, "I'm so sorry. Dr. House was just leaving! He seems to think the girl has something."

"I don't _think_, I _know_! She finally said something to one of the other kids in 'Peds and her speech was slurred," House snapped. "And not just the deaf-girl 'I don't know how to talk' speech, either."

"What, just because she's deaf, you think she's diseased?" Elliot growled.

"No. She's diseased, so I think she's diseased!" House replied. Elliot began to advance on him. Olivia grabbed him has Dr. Cuddy rushed forward to restrain an equally surly Dr. House.

"I have a cane and I know how to use it!" Dr. House said, waving it at Elliot, who tried to snatch it away.

"House!" Cuddy shouted.

"Elliot!" Olivia warned.

"House, get out!" Dr Cuddy ordered. Dr. House shook his head, never taking his eyes off Elliot.

"But I _can't_. She won't talk to _him_. But she'll talk to me," Dr. House replied quietly. Elliot's eyes narrowed.

"Oh?" he said, his voice very low. Benson gently tried to steer him away from Dr. House, but, to her shock, he shook her off. Dr. Cuddy let out an exasperated sigh.

"Amy has been reacting…badly to men. She won't allow one to come within a few feet of her," she explained. "She screamed her head off when one of our doctors came in and he's the nicest doctor we have."

"People thank him when he tells them they're dying," House told Elliot, chuckling as if the news of someone dying was funny. Elliot bristled.

"And I can sign! If you want to ask the little brat anything, you need me around. We don't have a translator on a regular basis here," Dr. House announced like a little kid announcing a newly acquired skill. Elliot chuckled meanly.

"_We_ have a translator on retainer, cripple-boy," he snarled.

"A _male_ translator, Stabler," Olivia reminded him.

"Oh, my! It looks like _you can't get rid of me_!" he quipped in mock-horror. "Not that I really want you around. The last cop I worked with got a little Hinckley with me."

"Why does it not surprise me you had the cops after you?" Elliot asked.

"Why does she talk to _you, _if she doesn't like men?" Olivia asked, ignoring her partner.

"I can think of one or two reasons," Elliot said.

"We don't know. _I_ don't even like to talk to him. Heaven help me, I wish I didn't have to subject you to this," Dr. Cuddy sighed.

"You think _I_ want to do this? I have better things to do than to translate for mini-Shoshanna Stern," her colleague interjected. "But Cuddy here says 'Oh, the cops will want help and it's best for the hospital and yap yap yap'."

"We don't want you," Elliot snapped, petulantly.

"Oh, everyone wants me. But you're not my type anyway. I'm not into bestiality," Dr. House replied. Olivia grabbed Elliot before he got to further cripple Dr House.

"What do you think she has?" she asked as she ushered Elliot to the opposite corner of the room.

"Well, if I knew, we wouldn't still be here, would we? We'd be pumping the kid full of some cool medication and getting rid of her," Dr. House said, as if speaking to a very slow child. Olivia felt her face flush with irritation.

"Why do we need to stay here? Can't we have her moved to a hospital in New York?" Elliot suggested, obviously struggling to keep his voice even.

"Well, you have _me_ here, which should be reason enough to keep her here," Dr. House replied. "If she's sick enough, moving her would kill her and I think the whole point of this is to get the little rnt home _alive._" Dr. Cuddy rolled her eyes.

"As much as I hate to admit it, if he's right, even moving her around the hospital could kill her. Dr. House is the best doctor we have. He's also the best diagnostician in the country. _And_ he will behave himself or he will find himself on clinic duty _for the rest of the year_," she said. She didn't sound as if she was any happier about it than they were.

"No, I think it would be best if…" Elliot began.

"I could come with you, you know," House suggested.

"No!" Dr. Cuddy and Elliot shouted in unison.

"Alright. She stays here, until you get it through your head there's _nothing_ wrong with her," Elliot growled, stomping through the doors. Dr. Cuddy gave Olivia an apologetic look and glared at Dr. House.

"I guess that leaves me to do the interview. I can't wait," Olivia sighed. She held a hand out to Dr. House, who stared at it as if it had grown extra fingers.

"I suppose I have to work with you, Dr. House," she said, trying to keep her voice even. House raised his eyes to meet hers. They were intense blue. He was trying to stare her down, but she met the icy blue stare and held his eyes. There was a tense moment. She took a step towards him. He dropped his eyes back to her hand and took it in a surprisingly delicate grip.

"I suppose we do." he said.


	3. Chapter 3

This is to Alex- if you don't like this story, do not read it. I'm not trying to get published here, I'm not trying to win awards. This is not a story I want constructive reviews on. That, and you're being cowardly and idiotic by giving reviews without logging in, probably for the sole reason of preventing replies to the awful reviews. I'm writing my own story and if I get another review from you simply ripping the story to bits, I will start reporting you. Man up and log in, or shut up.

Everyone else, thank you for reading and beware of the above mentioned reviewer- he's a troll who doesn't know the meaning of read what you like and ignore what you don't and can't grow a set enough to log in.

* * *

The incident with the girl yesterday had left him badly shaken, but Wilson wanted to meet the detectives when they came. As he approached the doors to Cuddy's office, they burst open and a strongly-built man strode through. He crashed into Wilson, almost knocking him to the ground.

"Sorry, doc, didn't see you there. I just met one of your buddies," the man said. He sounded so pissed off that there was only one person he could have met.

"You met House, I take it," he said. _Great, maybe House will get himself arrested again_! he thought.

"You know him?" the man asked.

"I used to _live_ with him," Wilson explained. His companion looked him over, almost like he expected Wilson to be just like House.

"I'm Dr. James Wilson. And I'm _close_ to normal and reasonably adjusted, with the exception of my screwed up friendship with House," he explained, extending his hand.

"Detective Elliot Stabler," the detective said, shaking Wilson's hand.

"So you're _friends_ with him? He doesn't strike me as the type to keep non-demonic friends," Elliot said. Wilson chuckled and motioned for the door. They left Cuddy's office and went out into the lobby.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. House doesn't like cops."

"Yeah, he mentioned. What was that about?" Elliot asked. Wilson eyed him suspiciously and took a cautious step back.

"I am not going to arrest him for anything. I'm just curious," Elliot said. Wilson still looked at him with a tentative look.

"A cop came after House a while back. He tried to turn us all against House to get him in jail or drag us all down in the process," the doctor explained.

"Well, that's hard to imagine," Elliot quipped, "Anyone I know?"

"Probably not. He works in Princeton. His name was Tritter."

"_Mike _Tritter?" Elliot asked. Wilson took another step back. Elliot shook his head and motioned Wilson back.

"No, no, I've met the guy, but I don't like him. He's a jerk, a bit like House, actually. Only not as…outspoken," he explained quickly. Wilson relaxed visibly. Elliot surmised that, being House's friend –and probably _only_ friend- Tritter had come after him the hardest.

"So. What do you do here?" Eliot asked, trying to change the subject.

"I'm an oncologist," Wilson answered.

"Cancer?" Elliot asked.

"Yeah, that's me," Wilson answered.

"Tough break. That's got to be rough!"

"Yeah. Kind of like your job," Wilson said. Elliot nodded.

"Well, at least some of my cases have happy endings. Not as many as I'd like, but a few," he said.

"Like Amy Culler?"

"We hope so, if I ever get her out of here. Are you familiar with her?" Elliot asked. Wilson repressed the urge to shudder.

"Yes. I actually caused her to go a tad berserk. Do you know what happened to her?" Wilson asked.

"No, not yet. Do you know anything? Other than that she'll only talk to Dr. Evil in there?" Elliot asked.

"I have no idea, but he rattled off a few signs at her and, once he got her to watch what he was saying, she settled down. She ignores everyone else," Wilson answered. Elliot nodded and mulled it over.

"Just my luck. Of all the doctors in the world, the little girl on my case who I've been following forever has the biggest jerk on the planet as a doctor," he muttered.

"Forever? I thought you she was only missing two or three days," Wilson asked.

"Missing for two or three days, yeah, but we were investigating her uncle for molestation and the murder of Amy's mother before she disappeared," Elliot answered.

"My god," Wilson muttered. He saw suffering kids all the time, but had never gotten used to it. He shook himself a little and sighed.

"She's attached herself to House pretty well, though. Before she'd talk or sign to other kids in the Pediatric Ward, but now she just waits for him to come back. I don't know why; he's not very nice to her," he explained to Elliot. Elliot thought for a moment.

"Why do _you_ stick around?" he asked. Wilson shrugged and shook his head.

"I've been asking myself that for years and years," he answered.


	4. Chapter 4

Olivia felt like her head was going to burst. She'd been talking to Amy through Dr. House for hours and had gotten nothing she didn't already know. Amy had spent most of the abduction blindfolded and locked in a car and gave her no leads to follow. Dr. House spoke to the little girl as if he were talking to an adult; in more than one case using language even Olivia found objectionable and certainly not being nice to her. But the child obviously liked him. She said she thought he was funny, although Dr House seemed to take that almost as an insult. She sighed and rubbed her eyes. Dr. House took notice and motioned at her with his cane.

"Want a break?" he asked, almost as if it were a challenge. Olivia shrugged. Dr. House shrugged in answer and, without another word or goodbye for the girl, turned his back and moved for the door. With a sigh and a quick wave at Amy, Olivia followed.

"Well, are you done being pointless so I can do my job?" Dr. House asked as they walked across the crowded pediatrics ward, batting aside toys with his cane. Olivia shook her head.

"It wasn't pointless. I can call back and ask them to check her uncle's car for signs she'd been in it," she offered, although she'd already done that even before she'd made it to New Jersey. Dr. House seemed to sense she was grasping and smiled, putting a toy car across the room. The nurse who had been trying to clean them all up glared at him. He sneered at her and popped a pill. Olivia had seen him to that several times during the conversation with Amy and wondered what it was and how much he was taking. He swallowed the pill dry and continued on, roughly smacking a toy so it slammed into the nurse's ankles.

"Oh, don't feel bad. I'm sure that the return of the little girl will make everyone feel good enough to forget how much time you wasted, Detective…Bennett?"

"_Benson_," Olivia corrected irritably.

"Don't care," Dr. House replied. His foot caught an errant toy and slid to the side. He crashed into Olivia, knocking her off her feet and taking them both to the floor. Olivia felt a sickening jolt of pain shoot up her left arm as she tried to catch herself. House had landed across her, his long legs entangled with hers. Some of the children laughed at the fall, but were quickly silenced by the swarm of nurses who hurried over to help. House shook them off, curling himself into a tight ball, clutching his right leg.

"Dr. House?" Olivia said, clutching her injured arm to her side. A nurse helped her to her feet and was trying to examine her arm. Another nurse tried to help Dr. House up, but he jerked away from her.

"Get me out of here and away from these idiots," he gasped, looking up at Olivia. She gently disentangled herself from the well-meaning nurse, and used her good arm to haul Dr. House to his feet. He grunted in pain as she did, but said nothing else. Once he was on his feet, he gave her directions, shooting acidic glances at the nurses, who now stood back and away from him.

"You should have let them help you! This wouldn't be necessary!" Olivia snapped as they hobbled into the hall.

"Those idiots wouldn't know their ass from an aspirin. Turn right here," Dr. House snarled.

"Then where are we going?" she asked.

"Someone who knows what they're doing," he said. His breath was sharp gasps of agony and sweat was rolling off his forehead.

"What happened?" Olivia asked as they got on the elevator. House leaned back against the handrail and chugged down another few pills. Olivia was beginning to figure out why the cops had come after him before.

"Other than the fall caused by those imbeciles downstairs? My girlfriend was an idiot," he answered, gasping. Olivia gave him a look and he sighed.

"I had an infarction in my thigh ten years ago. It clotted and destroyed the muscle and my girlfriend decided to cripple me for life because I wanted to keep my damn leg," he snarled. Olivia was taken aback by the bitterness in his voice.

"Why are you a detective in SVU, of all places? Get diddled by a stranger with candy, did you?" he asked nastily.

"No, that was my mother. That's how I came along," she snapped. The elevator dinged as House stared at her, evidently at a loss for words at last. He had obviously not expected her to answer the question at all, let alone with the answer he'd gotten. As the doors slid open, Olivia took House's arm again and assisted him out of the elevator.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"I'm over it," Olivia lied.

"Yeah, and I'm over my leg. That's why I have these yummy candies," House quipped, rattling the pills in his pocket. He suddenly noticed her arm.

"You're hurt?" he asked.

"No."

"Liar. Here." He whipped out the pills, dropped two into her palm, and motioned to an office at the end of the hall.

"What are they?" Olivia asked, suspiciously.

"Vicodin. It's not illegal; they give it for toothaches, body aches, etcetera, so just take it and shut up," House replied. There was no water nearby and Olivia couldn't dry-pop pills, so she jammed them in her pocket. House shouldered his way into the office he'd indicated before without knocking.

"Wilson I…" he began. A younger doctor with a boyish face sat behind the desk with Elliot sitting across from him. They'd been laughing, although the laughter died as they entered. Elliot took in Dr. House with his arm around Olivia's shoulders with narrowed eyes, which came to rest on Olivia's injured arm, which was beginning to swell unpleasantly.

"What _happened_?" he gasped.

"Wrestling. Detective Benson found out she should leave the elbow drops to Shawn Michaels, and I found out that Jeff Hardy is a lot crazier than I give him credit for!" House quipped. Olivia knew enough about wrestling from a former boyfriend to find the joke funny, although she stifled her laugh when she saw Elliot looking from her to Dr. House with an expression that he usually reserved for suspects.

"I tripped over some toys in Peds. I knocked him down," she answered. House's eyes momentarily flickered to her, but she ignored him. The younger doctor, Dr. Wilson from what it said on the door, had come around his desk to examine them.

"You know, there are these lovely people called _nurses_ down in Pediatrics and they could have…" he began.

"If they can't keep the floor clear, then they aren't competent. If they aren't competent, then I don't want them working on me!" House snarled.

"Well, what about Liv? You let her practically carry you here and she's hurt worse than you are!" Elliot said.

"I'm really not…" Olivia started.

"I'm where I need to be. Get out," Dr. House ordered. Elliot bristled, but backed out of the room, obviously not eager to stay anywhere the surly doctor was. Olivia slipped out from under House's arm. House hissed as he let his weight on the offending leg.

"Are you ok?" she asked, surprising herself with her concern. House looked up at her, also surprised at her concern and Dr. Wilson gave her a puzzled look.

"I'm fine. I've got my babysitter here. Go get yourself checked. You probably sprained your wrist. It's got to hurt like hell," House told her. Dr. Wilson's jaw nearly hit the floor.

"Benson! Come on, let's get you checked out," Elliot called from the hall. Olivia turned to join him.

"Were you just _nice_ to her?" Wilson gasped as he helped House to the couch. House's complexion was chalky; judging from Olivia's wrist and House's obvious agony, it must have been quite a fall.

"_She_ didn't trip on the toys. I did and I took her down with me by accident. She just defended me against her partner. I figured I…"

"No, no, no, you don't _figure_ anything that way. You _like_ her!" Wilson chortled. House gave him a withering look.

"She's a _cop_!" House snapped.

"She's a _pretty_ cop," Wilson teased. House rolled his eyes and set himself to ignore his friend.

"I have to call my team and get them to check Amy Culler more carefully. I noticed something while I was talking to her," he said, changing the subject.

"And you didn't mention it to the detectives?" Wilson asked.

"No. I want to keep them in the dark as long as possible. If we come up with a diagnosis and it's wrong, I don't want them jumping the gun and killing her by accident by taking her to New York with the wrong answer," House answered. Wilson raised an eyebrow.

"That's not it. You wanted her out as soon as possible before. You want Detective Benson to stay…"

"Forget Benson. When she was talking to the girl, I noticed Amy's eyes were moving when there was nothing moving for her to be following. What do we know causes pathological nystagmus?"


End file.
